Ventilating unit



W. SHURTLEFF. VENTIILATING uwn. APPLICATION FILED IIIAR. IQ, I919.

1,394,946, vPatented Oct. 25, 1921.

9 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILFBED snowman, or nouns, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 norms near, or

- MOLINE, ILLINOIS, a CORPORATION or ILLINOIS.

vnNrILaTme UNIT.

.of that class in which air is drawn in from the outside and circulatedin'contact with heating elements before delivery to the room to beserved.

One of the important objects ofmy invention is to dispense with aircleaning mechanism involving the use of water, and to provide improvedmeans for dry cleaning the air before it is delivered.

Another important object of this invention is to provide animprovedarrangement of radiators for preventing localized cooling by theincoming air and insuring rapid and uniform circulation of steamthereair.

The unit shown comprises the housing 5 which has the transverse wall 6near its upper end forming the floor of the blower chamber 7 from whichthe duct 8 extends rearwardly for connection with some opening leadingto the outside of the room to be served, as for example, a windowopening. Within the chamber 7 is the blower 9 whose outlet 10 extendsdownwardly through the floor 6 to communicate with the heating chamber11. The front wall 12 of the heating chamber is set a distance forwardlyof the front wall 13 of the chamber 7 so as to leave the outlet 14.

Within the heating chamber 11 are supported two radiator structures 15and 16 which are separated by a partition 17. This partition is of aboutthe same height as the radiator structures, and on a pivot rod 18extending along the top of the partition is secured the damper 19 forcontrolling the outlet 14. This damper may swing from Specification ofLetters Patent.

damper upwardly. Secured to Patented Oct. 25, 1921.

Application filed March 10, 1919. Serial No. 281,800,

its upper position against the floor 7 to a lower pos1t1on against thebracket 20 secured to the wall 12. The counter-weight 21 1s ad ustableon the arm 22 extending from-the damper and tends to swing the the frontwall 12 1s some suitable thermostatic device 23' whose operating lever24 connects with the cord 25 which extends around the ldler pulley 26and is adapted for connect1on with the damper by means of the hook 27and the eye 28.

The operation thus far is apparent, the

blower draws in air from the outside through the duct 8 and forces itdownwardly into the heating chamber 11. If the temperature 1n the roomto be served is below normal the thermostat and counter-weight havecooperated to keep the damper 19 up so as to prevent direct connectionof the outlet 14 with the blower outlet. The cold air from the blower istherefore forced downwardly past and into contact with the radiatorstructure 15, and then upwardly in contact with the radiator structure16 and into the outlet 14 into the room, the air being thus heated. Ifthe temperature of the room is very hlgh when the device is started thedamper 19 Wlll be held in its lower position so that all the air fromthe blower will be forced directly through the outlet 14 into the roomuntil the room is sufficiently cooled.

After starting of the device and during its normal operation thethermostat and counter-weight cooperate to so adjust the damper in theoutlet 14 that the proper amount of direct cold air and warmed air willbe discharged into the room.

It is desirable to clean the air before it is delivered from the deviceinto the room. In prior structures cleaning mechanism involving waterpans have been used and very eificient cleaning is accomplished so longas the water pans are kept properly supplied with water. However, inpractice, the caretaker will not always keep the reservoirs or pansfilled with water and these washing systems are then, of course,useless. I have therefore provided an improved mechanism for efiicientlydry cleaning the air. The mechanism involves the use of louvers orbattles between the radiator structures and floor of the device againstwhich the dust laden air impinges, and the dust and dirt particles areseparated therefrom.

Referring to the drawing, a row of louver sections 29 form a bafile wallbetween the space 30 directly below the radiators and the dead space 31above the floor 32. These louver sections are overlapped slightly toleave thepassageways 33, and each section has also stamped therefrom thebafile flanges 34 for leaving passageways 35. The louver sections andthe bafile flan es extend at such angles that they willread1ly catchdust and dirt particles and deflect them downwardly through the passaeways 33 and 35 into the space 31. After the air passes downwardlythrough the radiator structure 15 to be warmed it strikes the louversand the dust and dirt is separated therefrom in the manner referred to.Preferably. the wall formed by the louvers is rounded as shown so thatthe air is gradually guided from the radiator 15 to the radiator 16 andthe friction thereby reduced and the efficiency of the machine mcreased.

The radiator structure 15 receives the full impact of the air forceddownwardly. by the blower 9 and particularly when the air is cold therewill be a tendency for the radiator 15 to be so chilled at its upper endthat any steam attempting to enter is immediately condensed and the endsof the radiator sections will be filled with cold air which blockscirculation. This, of course, subtracts just that much heating area fromthe radiator structure.

Another feature of my invention is therefore to provide an arrangementfor insuring rapid and uniform circulation through the radiatorsections. Preferably the radlator sections 15 and 16 are individualcomlete structures. As shown steam enters rom supply pipe 36 into theradiator 15 at the bottom and one endthereof, the pipe 37 connecting theother ends of the radiators at the bottoms thereof while the pipe 38receives the outfiowin steam. The radiator 15which is in the direct pathof the cold air from-the blower therefore receives the hot steam, andthe steam can readily circulate through the radiator sections andcompletely fill it, thus eliminating any chances for the formation ofcold air pockets. The steam then flows through the pipe 37 and the steamso that the maximum eating area is provided for heating the air.

TlllS efiicient heating arrangement together with the automatic controlof the outlet damper and the simplified air cleaning arrangement makethe device very efiicient in its operation.

I do not desire to be limited to the exact construction and arrangementshown and described, as changes can no doubt be made which will stillcome within the scope of my invention.

Having described my invention, I claim as follows:

1. In a ventilating unit of the class described, the combination of ahousin having an air inlet and an outlet, a blower within said housingbetween said inlet and outlet, an up-passageway and a down-passa eway 1nsaid housing, an independent radlator structure in each passageway, saiddownpassageway communicating in its lower end with said up-passageway,and a damper for controlling the connection of said up-passageway withsaid outlet.

2..In a ventilating unit of the class described the combination of ahousing having an air inlet and an outlet, a partition dividing thehousing below said outlet into rear and front passageways connected attheir lower ends, a radiator structure in each passageway, said radiatorstructures being connected serially for the flow of steam therethrough,a damper hinged at the upper end of said partition and adapted to swingin said outlet to control the connection of said outlet with said frontpassageway and with said air inlet.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 5th day of March,A. D., 1919.

WILFRED SHURTLEFF.

